Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Blood of the Reich follows two parallel stories, one that begins in 1938 with a Nazi expedition to Tibet and the other with a single, cubicle-dwelling woman in present day Seattle. The Nazis are searching for ultimate power in the form of the legendary city of Shambhala. Benjamin Hood, a museum curator and adventurer, races the clock to stop them on orders from the American government thus setting up a battle between good and evil.

This quest for Shambhala reaches out from the past to touch the life of Rominy Pickett. What starts as a completely normal day for Rominy quickly becomes the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious journalist saves her from a car bomb. Rominy is adopted, but her unknown family history ties her to the events of 1938 and may hold the key to solving the mystery of Shambhala.

William Dietrich’s historical thriller seems well-researched and is definitely imaginative. The expressions of Nazi philosophy were both disturbing and fascinating. Dietrich makes them sound almost logical but with a hint of madness. Though I found myself slightly more interested in Rominy’s fate, both storylines were well-executed and came together artfully. I knew more than Rominy early on in the story and am relatively sure Dietrich meant for that to be the case. There were still surprises along the way though, and I stayed up past my bedtime to finish the last fifty pages.

I’m happy to have been introduced to this author and will definitely be reading more of his work. If you are a fan of historical mysteries and thrillers, I highly recommend Blood of the Reich.